As longtime members of Harry Connick Jr.'s band, trombonists Mark Mullins and Craig Klein made multiple appearances on "Late Show With David Letterman" over the years. But on Monday, they're scheduled to appear on Letterman for the first time with their own band, Bonerama.

Bonerama and Damian Kulash of OK Go are to showcase material from their new collaborative EP, "You're Not Alone." All proceeds from "You're Not Alone" benefit musicians affected by Hurricane Katrina, including Al "Carnival Time" Johnson, who appears on the recording. "We can barely contain our excitement, " Mullins said of Bonerama's upcoming "Letterman" turn. "We're very, very excited for the band and for the light it will shine on New Orleans and the cause. We're humbled and grateful for the opportunity."

"You're Not Alone" is available exclusively on iTunes. "Late Show With David Letterman" airs Monday at 10:35 p.m. on WWL-TV, Channel 4.

Irma's piano project

Soul queen Irma Thomas is hard at work on her next album, the follow-up to her Grammy-winning 2006 release "After the Rain." Rounder Records staff producer Scott Billington is pairing Thomas with a different pianist on every song. The list includes well-known names from both within and beyond Orleans Parish: Norah Jones, Randy Newman, Ellis Marsalis, Jon Cleary, Henry Butler, John Medeski, Marcia Ball, David Torkanowsky, Davell Crawford and David Egan. The songs include new compositions from Egan, the southwest Louisiana songwriter who contributed to "After the Rain, " and famed composer Burt Bacharach. Recording sessions commenced in December and continued the week before Mardi Gras at Piety Street Recording in Bywater. They'll wrap up recording in the spring.

The new Thomas album tentatively is slated for an August release on Rounder.

Keith Spera covers music. He can be reached at (504) 826-3470 or kspera@timespicayune.com.